Dr Billings, a former priest who was at Hillsborough on the day of the 1989 disaster, said: “I have been left with no choice other than to suspend David from his duties as chief constable of South Yorkshire Police.

“I have reached this decision with a heavy heart following discussions with David both in the run-up to and following the delivery of the Hillsborough verdicts.

“My decision is based on the erosion of public trust and confidence referenced in statements and comments in the House of Commons this lunchtime, along with public calls for the chief constable’s resignation from a number of quarters.”

Mr Crompton came under fire from the Hillsborough families as soon as the jury returned its unlawful killing verdicts.

An statement released on behalf of 22 of the families said: “We have called for the resignation or the sacking of the current chief constable of SYP and we have called for remedial measures to be imposed on SYP.”

This was echoed by Mr Burnham during today’s House of Commons debate.

He told MPs South Yorkshire Police had gone back on its 2012 public apology following the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report and engaged in an “adversial battle” at the fresh inquests in Warrington.

He said: “Shamefully, the cover-up continued in this Warrington courtroom. Millions of pounds of public money were spent re-telling discredited lies.

“Lawyers for retired officers threw disgusting slurs; those for today’s force tried to establish that others were responsible for the opening of the gate.

“If the police had chosen to maintain its apology, this inquest would have been much shorter.

Mr Burnham asked: “Does the Home Secretary agree that, because of his handling of this inquest, the position of the chief constable is now untenable?”

The Home Secretary was critical of the force’s handling of the inquest verdicts.

She said: “I think everybody will be disappointed and, indeed, concerned by some of the remarks that have been made by South Yorkshire Police.

“There was a very clear verdict yesterday in relation to the decisions that were taken by police officers and the action of police officers on April 15, 1989 and I urge South Yorkshire Police force to recognise the verdict of the jury.

“Yes, it must get on with the day-to-day job of policing in its force area, but it needs to look at what happened, at what the verdicts have shown, recognise the truth and be willing to accept that.”